A Real Gruyere Cheese
I recommend the visit of the tunnels of Alfonso VIII, named after the street at the entrance, just in front of the Casa del Corregidor and the Palacio de los Clemente Aróstegui.
They form a labyrinth full of passages, galleries, caves of various kilometers long and which have been dug by the people of Cuenca throughout the centuries in the underground part of the city, turning it into a real gruyere cheese. They were built with different purposes: from caves to preserve wine and food, to communication routes between buildings, tunnels for escaping and they were also used as improvised anti aircraft shelters during the civil war of 1936-1939.
Nowadays, almost all of them remain unused and only a small part has been arranged for touristic visits. It allows us to see what used to be one of these shelters, with protection walls at the entrance in case of bombing, defensive embrasures in front of the entrance, a small cistern for the supply of water and the site of a precarious infirmary.
When I went out, I was blinded by the sun but it was nice to feel the fresh air again and to admire the beauty of Alfonso VIII Street. It is a curious place to visit and it doesn't take too long.


